With the ever present desire to produce new designs for the fashion and home furnishings and other industries the nature of slide fastener or zipper on a particular garment or article can have a significant effect on the overall look of the finished article. This holds true for all aspect of the slide fastener ranging from the coupling elements to the slider and the pull tab for the slide fastener.
However, whilst often requiring an attractive appearance, a slide fastener still possesses a functional role which ensures successful operation of the garment, home furnishing or other item.
A problem associated with slide fasteners is the inherent nature of the coupling elements or fastener teeth that form the closure mechanism for the slide fastener to receive foreign materials. The presence of the foreign materials, if left unchecked may damage the closure mechanism by preventing movement of a slider along the length of the slide fastener. In addition, removal of the foreign body may result in damage to the coupling elements such that the slide fastener no longer closes.
This is particularly the case for plastic coupling elements which may be easily damaged by the presence of errant plastic fibres generated during the manufacturing process and which if left unchecked can lead to abrading of the edges of the coupling elements.
For this reason, the embellishment of coupling elements comprised of plastics material which are of a sufficient strength to withstand the operation of the slide fastener yet still have a suitably attractive appearance has been a significant challenge to slide fastener manufactures. For example, the molding of coupling elements comprised of plastic material with the provision of holes or indents for receiving ornamentation such as jewels or beads increases the likelihood of plastic fibres arising which can remain on the teeth until the decorated slide fastener has been used a number of times. The wear of the coupling elements subsequently leads to the fibres becoming detached from the coupling elements but at the same time increases the chance of the fibres becoming trapped in between the coupling elements and thereby causing damage.
In addition, the decorative elements used to adorn clothing and hence slide fasteners such as beads and crystals are not only difficult to handle but are also costly to manufacture and utilise. Consequently, when a slide fastener is embellished with such crystals and decorative beads it is important that the decorative element is not only retained securely in place on the slide fastener but also that the decorative elements are protected from excessive wear and damage which could ultimately lead to the decorative elements loosing their lustre.
There is therefore a need to provide a slide fastener in which the coupling elements are comprised of plastics material and for which the slider or the pull tab can also be comprised of plastics material and for which the various parts of the slide fastener can be attractively embellished without the generation of errant fibres. There is also a need to provide a slide fastener in which once the various component parts of the slide fastener have been decorated or adorned can withstand the rigours of everyday use on the particular garment or soft furnishing to which the slide fastener is attached, which does not possess any rough edges on for example the coupling elements, and which is attractive in appearance and furthermore still possess an efficient closure mechanism compared with existing slide fasteners. Furthermore, there is also a need to provide a slide fastener in which once decorative elements have been secured to the slide fastener the decorative elements are themselves protected from damage.
In conventional slide fasteners there is usually provided a pair of fastener tapes upon which are mounted rows of individual coupling elements which cooperate or interdigitate when the fastener tapes pass through a slider mounted on one of the fastener tapes and in so doing either close or open the slide fastener accordingly.
However, the interdigitation of the coupling elements has a limiting effect on the visible appearance of the slide fastener. That is, due to the required interconnection of the coupling elements needed to ensure a sufficient closing of the slide fastener, the design of the external appearance of the slide fastener has been strictly limited not least of all because the coupling elements are required to pass through the slider.
In addition, the interconnection of the coupling elements visible to the user on the front and rear of the fastener has limited the flexibility of the slide fastener in the closed position and also the separation between the individual fastener elements on opposing fastener tapes. Furthermore, the need to ensure an efficient closure of the coupling elements has lead to restrictions in the positioning of any decorative elements on for example the coupling elements.
There have been various attempts to embellish the outer appearance of for example the coupling elements, slider or pull tab of the slide fastener.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,647 there is described a lock for a zipper or slide fastener in which both the lock and teeth of the zipper comprise ‘brilliants’ or jewels as ornamentation. However, there are no details in U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,647 as to how the brilliants are secured or retained in place on the coupling elements and the interdigitation of the coupling elements is achieved by small protrusion on each coupling elements which are received by an opening on an adjacent coupling element and which are prone to damage and prevent close packing of the coupling elements.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,292 (Covi et al) there is disclosed a zipper comprising a first and second row of teeth formed on a first and second band, each band comprising an edge bead or web. The teeth have free ends, and each have a channel such that when said zipper is being closed the free ends of said first row of teeth extend into an area of attachment of the teeth of the second row of teeth and vice versa, whereby the channels receive the edge beads or webs. The zipper further comprises a slider with a top cover plate and a bottom cover plate connected by a cross-piece, said slider having a wider front end and a narrower back end, said cross-piece having a front end directed towards said wider front end of said slider and a back end directed towards said narrower back end of said slider.
In addition, decorative stones are arranged on the teeth and also on the pull tab. However, there are no details provided as to how the teeth are secured and maintained in place. The decorative stones are substantially centrally located with respect to the teeth and protrude out of the plane of the teeth. Consequently the stones are prone to damage.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,185, also by Covi et al, there is described a zipper which again includes teeth or coupling elements having decorative stones. Details are provided as to how the teeth engage each other and the size of the support surfaces and extensions on the teeth relative to the diameter of the decorative stones. Likewise details are provided with respect to how the decorative stones can be arranged in a straight line and with a narrow spacing in comparison to their size even when the support surfaces on the teeth are relatively small, due to the extension of the stones at a sharp angle to the direction of the teeth which ensures that the submerged part of each stone is surrounded by a satisfactory amount of plastic material. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,185 is silent as to how the stones are satisfactorily secured in place and again, even though the stones protrude out of the plane of the teeth there is no mention of how damage to the stones can be prevented.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,110 also by Covi et al there is again described a zipper comprised of first and second rows of plastic teeth formed on first and second bands, each band having an edge bead. The teeth have free ends and opposed back ends fixed to the bands. Close to the back ends of the teeth are decorative stones wherein each decorative stone has a tapered portion with a tip, and the tip is directed to the respective band. The stones are formed in the teeth during injection molding but are mounted close to the rear edge of the teeth so that the front edges of the teeth can engage to a sufficient amount to effect closure of the zipper. The stones protrude out of the plane of the teeth and there is no mention as to how damage to the stones can be prevented.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,267, again by Covi et al there is described a zipper including first and second rows of teeth formed on first and second bands. Each tooth has a free end in which a channel is formed. Each channel has a bottom which is convexly curved. The zipper includes a slider with a projection for opening and closing the zipper and decorative stones are arranged in a straight line along the zipper by the spacing between the stones being small in comparison to the size of the stones and the support surfaces for the stones on the teeth being kept correspondingly small. The arrangement of the invention allows each stone to be adequately surrounded by plastic material while nonetheless the spacing between successive stones being small. The stones are embedded in substantially the centre of the teeth to allow suitable connection between protrusions residing on the sides of the plastic teeth. There is no mention as to how the stones may be protected from damage.
However, in the prior art patents described above, each stone significantly protrudes from the outer surface of the tooth to which it is attached. Consequently, sliders present on the zippers have to negotiate the raised stones which can also lead to interference of the slider and damage thereto as well as damage to the stones which can result in reduced lustre.
In International Publication No. WO/2000/027237 there is disclosed a jewelry article in which jewelry stones are injected into a support body made of plastic. The jewelry stones are arranged on both sides of a flat support body. The invention makes it possible for the support body to be produced in two successive injection molding processes and, during a second method step, for all of the jewelry stones to rest on an injection molded part produced in a first method step. However, the jewelry stones still protrude out of the plane of the injected molded surface which means that the jewelry stones are prone to damage and may also cause damage through interaction with other soft materials.
Likewise in Japanese Utility Model Publication, Utility Model Application Publication No. S30-15033, Japanese Design Publication, Registered Design No. 1031757, Chinese Design Patent Publication No. CN 3066227, Taiwanese Patent Publication, Publication No. 265926, and Chinese Utility Model Publication No. CN 2285075Y there are disclosed teeth for zippers, all of which comprise jewels which protrude from an outer or upper face of the teeth and for which no further protection is afforded.
In Chinese Utility Model Publication No. CN 2293229Y there is disclosed a zipper tooth or coupling element with a groove for receiving a projecting stone and in which the platform for the stone is also curved thereby providing an impediment for the smooth movement of a slider along a zipper.